Monday, May 17, 2021 -Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi Mohamud has been impeached by the Senate in a vote which the majority agreed to uphold the County Assembly decision.
In what appeared like a unanimous agreement to oust him from office, reports indicate that 25 out of 27 Senators voted him out over violation claims raised in the four charges facing him.
The Senate special panel was made of a lean team of 27 Senators led by Nyamira’s Okongo Omogeni.
Wajir County Assembly accused the embattled governor on four grounds among them, Financial mismanagement, abuse of office, gross misconduct and violation of the Constitution. However, the Special Committee hearing his case dropped away three charges which had been leveled against him. This was because they couldn’t find sufficient evidence. One charge of gross violation of the Constitution, however, helped reinforce his ouster.
The Committee looking into this case brought up a ray of issues from Wajir County including poor health sector as well as inaccurate records of contractors most of whom have not been paid their dues for now years. Non payment of county staff was also on the charge sheet.
“When the health system of a county is going down and the county gives more than 20 percent of its budget to the health sector and you’re hearing strikes by county employees and then you’re told the majority of the equipment is not working especially in the Covid-19 period where sh194 million was given to the governor to cater to this issue, what goes through your head?” posed concerned Omogeni.
He argued that based on that alone, it was appropriate to punish the governor so that new leadership can fall in place to save the situation facing Wajir residents.
His efforts alongside his lawyers to plead with the lawmakers to save his job continuously landed on deaf ears; he would then tell the panel that his removal from office was out of order because he had not violated the Constitution.
Mr. Abdi, according to MCAs from his area, has been delegating County government duties to his wife.